EFCC Grills Ex-Delta Governor Okowa in Lagos as Corruption Probe Deepens

Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, was sighted at the Lagos Directorate 1 office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, in what appears to be a fresh phase of the anti-graft agency’s ongoing investigation into allegations of financial misconduct linked to his tenure in office.

Sources familiar with the development said the former governor arrived at the EFCC facility for questioning by investigators, although details of the visit were not immediately disclosed.

Okowa has been under the EFCC’s radar over allegations involving the management of Delta State funds during his eight-year administration. The anti-corruption agency has previously interrogated the former governor over claims relating to the alleged diversion of public funds and the handling of the state’s 13 per cent derivation revenues.

The latest appearance at the Lagos Directorate 1 office has fueled speculation that investigators may be expanding or revisiting aspects of the probe, though neither the EFCC nor Okowa’s representatives had issued an official statement as of press time.

The former governor, who served Delta State from 2015 to 2023 and was the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, has consistently maintained that he acted within the law while in office.

Civil society groups and anti-corruption advocates have repeatedly called on the EFCC to provide updates on its investigations involving the former governor, arguing that public accountability requires transparency in high-profile corruption cases.

Efforts to obtain comments from EFCC officials on the purpose of Monday’s visit were unsuccessful.

The development comes amid renewed scrutiny of former public office holders by the anti-graft agency as it intensifies efforts to prosecute alleged cases of financial crimes and abuse of office across the country.